Rail-bond.



No. 824,625. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.,

J. P.0LARK. RAIL BOND.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.23. 1905.

QWMQDM k Mm,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

. i u t med October 23,1905. Serial No. 283,902.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. CLARK, of Y silanti, County of Washtenaw, State of chi an, have invented an Improvement in Railonds, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to rail-bonds, and is intended as an improvement upon the railbond shown in my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 2.62 ,7 01,filed May 27, 1905. In said applications rail-bond is shown having a terminal provided with a iece of Wirecloth on its under side, which is adapted to be embedded in the solder used to secure the rail-bond to the rail.

Rail-bonds are subjected to two essentially diiierent strains-one roduced by a movement of the rails tower and from each other, due to expansion and contraction of the rails, and the other produced by the rails moving to difierent elevations with respect to each other, as by a Wheel passing from one rail to the next. The strain produced by the movement of the rails toward and from each other is gradual; but the strain roduced by the movement of the rails to di erent elevations with respect to each other is sudden. 7 When the rail-bonds are secured to the rails by solder, the solder terminals thereof are therefore subjected to a direct end pull or thrust due to the expansion and contraction of the rails, and also are subjected to a twistin strain due to the movement of the rails to di erent elevations with respect to each other.

This invention has for its object to rovide means for securing the terminals of t e railbond in such manner as to effectively resist both of these strains; and it consists in providing the terminals of the rail-bonds with pieces of wire-cloth which are extended laterallybe 0nd the sides of the terminal ina plane with tl ie bottom of the terminal, to thereby not only increase the area of contact with the rail, but also provide attachingoints remote from the terminal itself. The ateral extensions may be provided at one or both sides of the terminal; but for the they will be provided at bot sides of the terminal. These extensions being composed of wire-cloth are ioraminous, and the soldergreatest security I freely flows through them to engage the rail and insure a uniform or uninterrupted contact.

Figure 1 shows in plan view a rail-bond embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of one of the terminals of the rail-bond, showing particularly the wire-cloth which'is secured to the terminal and which extends laterally beyond the sides thereof, .Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail to be referred to.

a represents the terminals of the rail-bond, and b the intermediate portions thereof. The rail-bond, as herein shown, .is composed of several superimposed layers orstrips of copper; but so far as m invention. is concerned the construction of t e rail-bond, as Well as its shape or design, is immaterial so long as it is formed or provided with terminals adapted to be soldered to the rails. A piece or stri c of wire-cloth of fine mesh is applied to t e terminal a, the cloth used referably being composed of copper wire. e piece or strip of Wire-cloth is or may be Wrapped comletel around the terminal and. is extended atera ly from eachside of the terminal, as at c, in a plane with the bottom ofthe terminal, the piece or strip of wire-cloth compo sing said lateral extensions being folded upon itself. The lateral extensions thus provided are (iuite stifi and are foraminous, so as to enab into contact with the rail and said extensions act to secure the terminals to the rails at points more or less remote from the terminals themselves, thereby enabling the terminals to withstand the sudden twisting strain to which they are subjected. The wire-cloth is soldered to the bond-terminal, and the meshes of the lateral extensions are filled with solder;

but when the bond is applied to the rails additional solder will be supplied.

When the rail-bond is secured to the rails by solder, it will be seen that the wire-cloth becomes embedded in the solder connection between the bond-terminal and the rail and also is embedded in the. solder at each side of the bond-terminal, and the rail-bond is ver securely held. I do not herein claim a rai bond having a terminal provided with a iece of wire-cloth on its under side which is a apted to be embedded in the solder, as the same, forms the subject-matter of my application, Serial No. 262,701, hereinbefore referred to.-

e the solder to freely run through them i Having thus described my invention, what- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rail-bond having a terminal provided with a piece of wire-cloth onits under side which is extended laterally beyond the sides of the terminals, substantially as described.

2. A rail-bond hav' a terminal provided with a piece of wire-cid i secured to its under side by solder which is extended laterally beyond the sides of the terminal, substantially as described. I p

3. A rail-bond having a terminal and a piece of wire-cloth wrapped around said terminal and extended laterallybeyond the sides thereof, substantially as described.

4. A rail-bond having a terminal and a piece of wire cloth wrapped around said terminal and secured thereto by solder and extended laterally beyond the sides of the terminal, substantially as described.

5. A rail-bond having a terminal provided with a piece of wire-cloth on its underside which is extended beyond the sides of the terminal, the meshes of said wirecloth being filled with solder, substantially as described.

6. A rail-bond having a terminalprovided witha lateral extension having-numerous 0 enings through it for the solder, substantially as described. p

*In testimony whereoflhave signed my name to this specification-inithe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. CLARK.

Witnesses CHAS. B. HOLE, E. C. SCHMITT. 

